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Mueller Team Asking If Trump Tried to Hide Purpose of Trump Tower Meeting — WASHINGTON — Federal investigators working for Special Counsel Robert Mueller are keenly focused on President Donald Trump's role in crafting a response to a published article about a meeting between Russians …
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Business Insider, The Hill, Politicus USA, The Daily Caller, TheBlaze, Axios and Mediaite
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Trump Associate Boasted That Moscow Deal ‘Will Get Donald Elected’ — WASHINGTON — A business associate of President Trump promised in 2015 to engineer a real estate deal with the aid of the president of Russia, Vladimir V. Putin, that he said would help Mr. Trump win the presidency.
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The Hill, Associated Press, Talking Points Memo, Business Insider, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Power Line, Raw Story, Washington Post, Mediaite, Shareblue, The Daily Caller, TheBlaze, Washington Monthly, emptywheel, New York Magazine, ThinkProgress, IJR, Politico, Daily Kos, CNBC, Daily Wire, RedState, Vox, Little Green Footballs, AOL, Shakesville, Axios, Mother Jones and Balloon Juice


Top Trump Organization executive asked Putin aide for help on business deal — (© Stephanie Keith / Reuters/REUTERS) … A top executive from Donald Trump's real estate company emailed Vladimir Putin's personal spokesman during the U.S. presidential campaign last year to ask …
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KTLA, NPR, Talking Points Memo, The Hill, New York's PIX11, Raw Story, Daily Kos, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, The Guardian, Mediaite, The Daily Caller, Business Insider, Axios, IJR, Politicus USA, Little Green Footballs, Booman Tribune, Washington Monthly, ThinkProgress, Joe.My.God., emptywheel, Balloon Juice, Outside the Beltway, VICE News, BillMoyers.com, Politico and RedState


Exclusive: How a request about Russians made its way from West Virginia to Trump's team — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — Washington (CNN)A West Virginia man who was a former contractor in Iraq proposed setting up a meeting with Russians and the Trump campaign last year to discuss their …
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Talking Points Memo, Mediaite and Raw Story

Lawyer Says He Discussed Moscow Tower Plan With Trump Three Times
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Axios and Political Wire

Trump Punishes Longtime Aide After Angry Phoenix Speech, Sources Say — George Gigicos removed as president's rally organizer — Sparse crowd put Trump in foul mood before delivering remarks — Donald Trump was in a bad mood before he emerged for a confrontational speech in Arizona last week.
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Shareblue, New York Magazine, Raw Story and Mediaite

Lurid Trump allegations made by Louise Mensch and co-writer came from hoaxer … Explosive allegations about Donald Trump made by online writers with large followings among Trump critics were based on bogus information from a hoaxer who falsely claimed to work in law enforcement.
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RedState and New York Magazine, more at Mediagazer »

Amid Harvey havoc, northeastern politicos sourly recall Texas “no” votes on Sandy aid — Several members of Congress from New York and New Jersey remain resentful over Texas Republicans that voted against a Hurricane Sandy aid package in 2013. — WASHINGTON - Many New Yorkers …
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CNBC, Mother Jones, CBS New York, New York Times, Raw Story, twitchy.com and Mediaite
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Hurricane Harvey, and Public and Private Disaster in Houston
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Newsweek, Shareblue, ThinkProgress, New York Times, VICE News, The Atlantic, The Texas Tribune and The Ticker


Cruz Defends Vote Against Sandy Aid: ‘Political, Unnecessary Pork Spending’
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ABC News, New Jersey Online and Daily Kos

Trump refuses to retract government shutdown threat despite hurricane crisis
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Politico and ImmigrationProf Blog

Lawmakers vow Harvey aid package, but there's no plan yet
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Politico


Joe Arpaio may challenge Jeff Flake for Arizona Senate seat: Exclusive — After receiving President Trump's first pardon, Joe Arpaio's plans have gone from possible prison to book-writing, speeches and potentially another run for office in Arizona, with Sen. Jeff Flake's seat one opportunity he is eyeing.
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Politico, The Hill, The Root, No More Mister Nice Blog, NBC News, Hullabaloo, Mediaite, ABC News, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, IJR, RedState, Politicus USA, Raw Story and The Gateway Pundit
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Trump: I pardoned Arpaio during hurricane because I thought TV ratings would be higher
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Politico, Outside the Beltway and RedState

Trump Defends Pardoning Joe Arpaio During Hurricane, Saying He Did It For ‘The Ratings’
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Lawyers, Guns & Money and Daily Kos


Rep. Duncan Hunter gives President Trump a profane compliment — Rep. Duncan Hunter in his Rayburn office in January. (Tom Williams / CQ Roll Call) — Rep. Duncan Hunter, one of Donald Trump's first allies in Congress, described the president in profane terms to a group of Republicans on Friday …
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Talking Points Memo, Business Insider, Political Wire, The Guardian and Lawyers, Guns & Money


Joel Osteen shuts megachurch amid flooding crisis … Televangelist Joel Osteen cancelled services at his Houston megachurch Sunday and has yet to reopen its doors — despite the fact that thousands of flooded-out residents are desperately seeking shelter. — The perpetually smiling pastor …
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TMZ.com, The Last Tradition, Daily Wire and FOX6Now.com
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‘Houston needs you’: Social media rains scorn on Joel Osteen for closing megachurch after hurricane — Celebrity pastor Joel Osteen is drawing intense criticism online for keeping his megachurch closed during Hurricane Harvey and instead offering social media promises of prayers.
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Latest from Crooks and Liars, Mediaite, Lakewood Church, Christianity Today, IJR, Christian and theGrio

Republican floats measure to kill Mueller probe after 6 months — Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) is pushing an amendment to severely curtail special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia. — DeSantis has put forward a provision that would halt funding …
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Fox News Insider, emptywheel and Political Wire
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GOP lawmaker proposes amendment to stop Mueller investigation after 180 days
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The Gateway Pundit and The Daily Caller

How to Get Out of the Iran Nuclear Deal — Although candidate Donald Trump repeatedly criticized Barack Obama's Iran nuclear agreement, his administration has twice decided to remain in the deal. It so certified to Congress, most recently in July, as required by law.
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Foreign Policy, Power Line, Mediaite and The Guardian
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Top Trump ally says he can't get a meeting with the president
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Political Wire


Next stop for Trump dossier probe: the FBI — In late July, the Justice Department refused a request from the Senate Judiciary Committee — a bipartisan, joint request from Chairman Charles Grassley and Ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein — to make two top FBI officials available for an interview …
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Top Democrat fears House Intelligence Committee may split on Russia probe findings
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Talking Points Memo


Trump unusually silent after aides challenge him — President Donald Trump is not happy with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council, for publicly criticizing his response to violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Discussion:
Axios, Political Wire, Hullabaloo, The Atlantic, The Resurgent and RedState


Family of 6 believed to have drowned inside van while trying to escape Harvey floods … HOUSTON - A family of six is believed to have died after drowning in a white van Sunday afternoon while trying to escape the floods of Hurricane Harvey, relatives tell KHOU 11 News.
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Vos Iz Neias, FOX2now.com, WCMH-TV, KTLA, FOX40, AOL, Associated Press and New York's PIX11


Death toll from Harvey rises to 8, with 30,000 expected to flee to Texas shelters — More than 30,000 people across the Gulf Coast are likely to seek temporary shelter as Tropical Storm Harvey continues to drench southeastern Texas and Louisiana with heavy rains and surging floodwaters.
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amp.dailycaller.com, abc13.com, Gizmodo, ABC News, CNN, New York Times, The Daily Caller and Refinery29
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Michael Moore Says Trump Is On Track To Win Again In 2020 — Moore's new Broadway show, The Terms of My Surrender, is his attempt to change that. — BY CHRISTINE CHAMPAGNE5 MINUTE READ — Three weeks into the run of his anti-Trump Broadway show, The Terms of My Surrender …
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Breitbart, The Daily Caller, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Liberal Values, IJR, TheBlaze, Infowars, Fox News Insider, Mediaite, AOL and Daily Wire


Police: 2 dead, 4 injured in shooting at Clovis library — CLOVIS, N.M. (KRQE) - Two people are dead and four others are injured after a gunman opened fire just after 4 p.m. inside the Clovis-Carver Public Library. — Police say the young man they have in custody surrendered without a fight.

North Korean missile flies over Japan, sharply escalating tensions and eliciting an angry response from Tokyo — North Korea launched a ballistic missile Tuesday morning that flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, public broadcaster NHK reported.
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